Private investigator vs investigative specialist

The differences between private investigators and investigative specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a private investigator and an investigative specialist. Additionally, an investigative specialist has an average salary of $50,153, which is higher than the $48,019 average annual salary of a private investigator.

The top three skills for a private investigator include background checks, background investigations and video surveillance. The most important skills for an investigative specialist are patients, investigative reports, and law enforcement agencies.

Private investigator vs investigative specialist overview

	Private Investigator	Investigative Specialist
Yearly salary	$48,019	$50,153
Hourly rate	$23.09	$24.11
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	6,675	39,030
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

What does a private investigator do?

Private investigators will require skills in surveillance, research, interviewing, critical thinking, and communication. Those who choose this career path will be called on to find information for organizations and individuals, as well as engage in different cases. An investigator's goal is to find legal, personal, or financial information through background checks, interviews, and surveillance.

What does an investigative specialist do?

The duties of an investigative specialist depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In a business environment, their responsibilities typically revolve around coordinating with different departments to gather extensive data, analyzing documentation, identifying any discrepancies and irregularities, and performing corrective measures while trying to find the reason for errors. Furthermore, as an investigative specialist, it is essential to address any issues or concerns, thoroughly investigating any reported suspicious activities, dealing with them promptly and efficiently in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.

Private investigator vs investigative specialist salary

Private investigators and investigative specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Private Investigator	Investigative Specialist
Average salary	$48,019	$50,153
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $78,000	Between $31,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	Delaware
Best paying company	-	BP America Inc
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between private investigator and investigative specialist education

There are a few differences between a private investigator and an investigative specialist in terms of educational background:

	Private Investigator	Investigative Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	California State University - Bakersfield

Private investigator vs investigative specialist demographics

Here are the differences between private investigators' and investigative specialists' demographics:

	Private Investigator	Investigative Specialist
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%	Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 13.6% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 5.0% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between private investigator and investigative specialist duties and responsibilities

Private investigator example responsibilities.

Manage all business reporting to include; payroll, taxes, client billing, account reconciliations and compliance reports.
Take ownership of the queue and promptly escalate any issues or obstacles to completing daily SAR filings
Conduct SIU, fraud, criminal, civil, and exploratory investigations as defined in client contracts.
Conduct different types of SIU investigations as well as civil, criminal, and asset background courthouse checks.
Serve subpoenas, coordinate witness court appearances, compile information from interviews, and developed/maintain community and informant contacts.
Create quality control documentation associate with manufacturing process, raw materials and quality testing procedures according to corporate and FDA guidelines.

Investigative specialist example responsibilities.

Manage an on-site IRB and company good clinical practice (GCP) inspection.
Experience working directly for commanding officers and making security recommendations to ensure the security of overall DOD operations in the area.
Document and enter into the database, EOB's, patient demographics, NPI and prior authorizations requirements.
Document into system and on require forms, EOB's, patient demographics, NPI and prior authorizations requirements.
Verify that Humana insurance customers understand their plan.
Contact recently enroll Humana members and thoroughly explain all information to ensure understanding of their plan.

Private investigator vs investigative specialist skills

Common private investigator skills

Background Checks, 15%
Background Investigations, 12%
Video Surveillance, 12%
Subpoenas, 5%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%
Computer Database, 4%

Common investigative specialist skills

Patients, 8%
Investigative Reports, 7%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 6%
FDA, 5%
Criminal Justice, 5%
Safety Rules, 5%

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Private Investigator
Private Investigator vs Investigative Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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